Comments on: Mark of a Fool http://mosaic.org/2007/04/01/mark-of-a-fool/ A community of Faith, Hope and Love Fri, 4 Jul 2008 17:49:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Steve Saccone http://mosaic.org/2007/04/01/mark-of-a-fool/#comment-7754 Steve Saccone Thu, 12 Apr 2007 15:12:51 +0000 http://mosaic.org/2007/04/01/mark-of-a-fool/#comment-7754 Hey Paul, So glad you wrote us and thanks for your honesty. I would be curious to dialogue with you more (maybe over email would be better), but here's a couple thoughts. First it sounds like spirituality is important to you, and that you're trying to make sense of how the Bible intersects real life. Ironically, often people's experience of religion pushes them away from God. For example, there can be a passage from the Scriptures that gets misinterpreted or even mishandled in order to justify a leader's point of view, and in the process it damages others' view of the Scriptures. On the other hand, there are truths of the Scriptures that I've experienced personally that are undeniable to me because through these truths I've encounterd God and found incredible freedom. I think sometimes we look at the Scriptures and remove the spiritual and mystical side of them. We look at them so concretely when some parts of the Scriptures are not to be experienced that way. For example, some of the poetry in the Psalms and Ecclesiastes of the Old Testament pull the reader into other people's spiritual connection to God and we see a window how they experience God. These passages are not just to be extracted as words, but to be read through the eyes of the person writing. Maybe there has been a moment in your life where you've had an undeniable encounter with God, and truth is that you may feel that the Scriptures as you understand them don't align with the character and heart of the God you've experienced. Shoot me an email and let's keep chatting. Hey Paul,
So glad you wrote us and thanks for your honesty. I would be curious to dialogue with you more (maybe over email would be better), but here’s a couple thoughts. First it sounds like spirituality is important to you, and that you’re trying to make sense of how the Bible intersects real life. Ironically, often people’s experience of religion pushes them away from God. For example, there can be a passage from the Scriptures that gets misinterpreted or even mishandled in order to justify a leader’s point of view, and in the process it damages others’ view of the Scriptures. On the other hand, there are truths of the Scriptures that I’ve experienced personally that are undeniable to me because through these truths I’ve encounterd God and found incredible freedom. I think sometimes we look at the Scriptures and remove the spiritual and mystical side of them. We look at them so concretely when some parts of the Scriptures are not to be experienced that way. For example, some of the poetry in the Psalms and Ecclesiastes of the Old Testament pull the reader into other people’s spiritual connection to God and we see a window how they experience God. These passages are not just to be extracted as words, but to be read through the eyes of the person writing. Maybe there has been a moment in your life where you’ve had an undeniable encounter with God, and truth is that you may feel that the Scriptures as you understand them don’t align with the character and heart of the God you’ve experienced. Shoot me an email and let’s keep chatting.

]]> By: Paul Franceus http://mosaic.org/2007/04/01/mark-of-a-fool/#comment-7686 Paul Franceus Wed, 11 Apr 2007 15:08:26 +0000 http://mosaic.org/2007/04/01/mark-of-a-fool/#comment-7686 For a long time, nearly 30 years, I have been a christian. For the past several years, however, I have been getting further and further from my faith. I just realized that it's not that I don't believe in God anymore, it's more that I can't see that he really cares about one so small as I or that anything I do will change anything about the outcome of this life. He is sovereign and my flailings and protestations will do nothing to change that. I don't know if that makes me a fool or not. I'd love to be convinced that it's not true - I know what the Bible says but I have a hard time looking at my life and the world around me and believing it still. Thanks for listening. Paul For a long time, nearly 30 years, I have been a christian. For the past several years, however, I have been getting further and further from my faith. I just realized that it’s not that I don’t believe in God anymore, it’s more that I can’t see that he really cares about one so small as I or that anything I do will change anything about the outcome of this life. He is sovereign and my flailings and protestations will do nothing to change that. I don’t know if that makes me a fool or not.

I’d love to be convinced that it’s not true - I know what the Bible says but I have a hard time looking at my life and the world around me and believing it still.

Thanks for listening.
Paul

]]> By: Brian Undlin http://mosaic.org/2007/04/01/mark-of-a-fool/#comment-7190 Brian Undlin Wed, 04 Apr 2007 23:39:20 +0000 http://mosaic.org/2007/04/01/mark-of-a-fool/#comment-7190 I love the ability to tell some harsh truths and come across caring at the same time. I can see freshly my propensity to repeating the same mistakes, thanks Erwin for helping me confront the fool. I love the ability to tell some harsh truths and come across caring at the same time. I can see freshly my propensity to repeating the same mistakes, thanks Erwin for helping me confront the fool.

]]> By: Norman Sillman http://mosaic.org/2007/04/01/mark-of-a-fool/#comment-7100 Norman Sillman Tue, 03 Apr 2007 05:29:01 +0000 http://mosaic.org/2007/04/01/mark-of-a-fool/#comment-7100 The sermon was different from anything Pastor has done. It was like he was talking to us one on one. No loud voice or straining!!! The impact has not totally hit me yet but it will. The important thing was instead of concentrating on correcting 'wrong behavoir', emphazing what are ideals. My sister who is a Freudian Phychologist/therapist would be blown away with that concept. I feel like reading Proverbs every day. Thanks Erwins!!! I could say more but I feel I am The sermon was different from anything Pastor has done. It was like he was talking to us one on one. No loud voice or straining!!! The impact has not totally hit me yet but it will.
The important thing was instead of concentrating on correcting ‘wrong behavoir’, emphazing what are ideals. My sister who is a Freudian Phychologist/therapist would be blown away with that concept. I feel like reading Proverbs every day. Thanks Erwins!!!
I could say more but I feel I am

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